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A review by svmitche
A Village Fete Murder by Katie Gayle
4.0
Although the weather outside is cold and grey in real life, in A Village Fete Murder by Katie Gayle, it’s spring in Berrywick and smack in the middle of fete season.
This is the third cozy crime novel featuring retired social worker Julia Bird who seems to keep finding herself embroiled in murder – although she is trying to make a new, peaceful life for herself in the country, she can’t help getting caught up in solving the crime!
Once again, the writing partnership of Kate Ridley and Gayle Schimmel have created a gripping murder mystery, in this case seemingly involving bullying at a local school, that has plenty of twists and red herrings.
You can just see the conflict within Julia as she feels compelled to look into the murder – especially to help a young man who seems to be wrongly in the frame – while trying to mind her own business and concentrate on the life and friendships she has built in her new life. That is really well put across in all of the novels but lucky for us, Julia just can’t help but get involved!
I thought the premise of bullying within a school’s really well put across – and not in the way you might think – and it’s handled quite sensitively when we hear from some of the victims. It’s a very current issue I think.
There are some nice explorations of characters from the previous novels, whose involvement is more than it first appears and – of course – that lovely, naughty dog, Jake is back as Julia’s steadfast companion.
Having read all the novels, it’s been great to see Julia develop in her country life, and form friendships and relationships in Berrywick so, although the murder plots are first class, it’s this very human side to the books that makes them.
This is the third cozy crime novel featuring retired social worker Julia Bird who seems to keep finding herself embroiled in murder – although she is trying to make a new, peaceful life for herself in the country, she can’t help getting caught up in solving the crime!
Once again, the writing partnership of Kate Ridley and Gayle Schimmel have created a gripping murder mystery, in this case seemingly involving bullying at a local school, that has plenty of twists and red herrings.
You can just see the conflict within Julia as she feels compelled to look into the murder – especially to help a young man who seems to be wrongly in the frame – while trying to mind her own business and concentrate on the life and friendships she has built in her new life. That is really well put across in all of the novels but lucky for us, Julia just can’t help but get involved!
I thought the premise of bullying within a school’s really well put across – and not in the way you might think – and it’s handled quite sensitively when we hear from some of the victims. It’s a very current issue I think.
There are some nice explorations of characters from the previous novels, whose involvement is more than it first appears and – of course – that lovely, naughty dog, Jake is back as Julia’s steadfast companion.
Having read all the novels, it’s been great to see Julia develop in her country life, and form friendships and relationships in Berrywick so, although the murder plots are first class, it’s this very human side to the books that makes them.